I saw firsthand Tuesday how tight some of the field situations are in the PSAL. I found the Brooklyn Tech football team practicing in the middle of Charles B. Wang Field prior to the schools girls soccer team’s season opener.

Midwood, the Engineers’ longtime rival and opponent that day, was sitting in the stands on one end of the field as passes were being thrown to wide receivers near the sidelines. The Brooklyn Tech girls soccer team was in the stands on the other side. As game time neared, the players began jogging around the field. The two teams had come to compromises that football players could practice, but would get off the field in time for the start of the Brooklyn A-III game, eventually won 6-1 by Tech.

The Brooklyn Tech football team runs through some plays as the girls soccer team finishes stretching. (Joseph Staszewski)

Neither squad, Brooklyn Tech or Midwood, were able to warm up for as long or as well as they normally would before a game, with each getting about a third of the field. Tech coach Thomas Nguyen was reluctant to move the game because he did not want to deprive the team of playing on their home field. The football team was still practicing when the referees arrived and did not leave until 3:56 p.m. before a game scheduled for a 4 p.m. start. The match kicked off at 4:03 p.m.

A pretty tight exit.

I understand that these things need to go on because of the situation the teams were dealt with the switch of the girls soccer season to the fall. It’s just seems like it has created yet another situation where the players are being deprived. The football players are losing valuable preparation time for their weekend game while the soccer players did not have the adequate time and space to warm up, possibly leading to injury. For bench players it might be the only time they touch a ball that afternoon.

I’m sure this will not be the last time a situation like this will arise.